
The principal of Community High School in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, Mrs. Rachael Alamu, has revealed that the kidnappers deliberately killed two abducted teachers in a bid to pressure the government into meeting their demands.
Speaking after she and other rescued teachers and pupils were received by Governor Seyi Makinde on Monday, Alamu said the captors believed the killings would force authorities to act quickly.
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According to her, Mathematics teacher Mr. Michael Oyedokun was killed on the second day of their captivity, while another teacher, Deacon Esiyan Adegboye, was later killed during the ordeal.
Alamu recounted that she, the teachers, and the pupils spent 56 days in the forest, enduring harsh weather conditions with little shelter while struggling to keep the children safe and hopeful.
She said the victims relied on faith and the prayers of Nigerians to survive the traumatic experience. Although she escaped physical assault, she disclosed that several of the children were severely beaten whenever they cried or made noise.
The victims were recently rescued by security forces after more than 50 days in captivity and initially received medical treatment and psychosocial support at the Military Hospital in Ibadan before being handed over to the Oyo State Government.
